Door ventilator latch



June 3, 1958 B. F. MEYER 2,837,362

DOOR VENTILATOR LATCH Filed Feb. 18, 195

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY DOOR VENTILATOR LATCH Barthold F. Meyer, St. Clair Beach, Ontario, Canada assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MlCiL, a corporation of Delaware Application February 18, 1957, Serial No. 640,753

7 Claims. '(Cl. 292-207) This invention relates to a latch, and more particularly to a latch for a swinging closure as for example the swinging ventilating window of an automobile door.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved latch for a swinging closure. Another feature of the invention is that it provides a positive latch having only a few operating parts. A further feature of the invention is that it provides a latch having a housing mounted for limited rotation on a stud, with a latching arm projecting radially from the housing for rotation between latched and unlatched positions. Still another feature of the invention is that the housing carries 'a latching sleeve movable radially therein and having means for locking the housing and sleeve against rotation on the stud to hold the latch arm in its latched position in engagement with a keeper on the automobile door; and still a further feature of the invention is that the latch sleeve has a finger operator which projects out through the housing for unlocking the sleeve from the stud to permit rotative movement of the housing and sleeve on the stud to swing the latch arm from latched to unlatched position.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an automobile door and ventilating window viewed from inside the automobile body, the latch arm of the novel latch device being shown in solid lines in latched position and in broken lines in unlatched position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the door and window along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the.

line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section generally similar to Fig. 3, but showing the parts in unlatched position.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

In almost all automobiles there is a swinging ventilating window mounted in each front door forwardly of the sliding door window for swinging movement about a generally vertical axis. Often similar swinging ventilating windows are provided in the rear doors or in the rear quarter of the automobile body immediately rearwardly of the rear door. This invention is directed to a novel and improved latch device particularly adapted for latching a swinging ventilating window.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a portion of an automobile door is designated as 10. The door terminates adjacent a windshield pillar 12 and the door mounts a ventilating window 14 which has a peripheral ornamental frame 16 extending around its front top and bottom sides. Immediately rearwardly of the window 14 there is the frame 18 of a conventional sliding door window. While not illustrated in the drawings, the ventilating window 14 is mounted in conventional manner 2,837,362 Patented June 3, 1958 2 for swinging movement about a generally vertical axis located substantially midway between its front and rear edges, as is well understood in the art. A rubber weather strip 19 forms a seal between the window frame 18 and the door 10.

A U-sh apedmounting bracket 20 is secured inside the window frame 16 near the lower rear corner of the window. As shown best in Fig. 4, a mounting stud 22 is secured to and projects from the bracket 20 in a direction toward the inside of the automobile passenger compartment. A portion of the stud 22 which lies adjacent the mounting bracket 2t) comprises a bearing portion 24 and, as shown in Fig. 6, a part of this hearing portion is cut away, the cutaway part terminating at each end in a stop shoulder 26. These shoulders comprise stop means as later described. The free end of the stud 22 is formed as a reduced cylindrical shank portion having an axially extending latching keyway 28 therein as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

A cup shaped latch housing 30 is mounted on the stud 22 for limited rotative movement on the bearing portion 24 thereof and the housing surrounds the reduced shank portion of the stud in spaced relation thereto as may be seen in Figs. 3 and 5. An axially extending slot 32 is formed in the wall of the housing and at a location approximately in angular relation to this slot around the periphery of the housing there is an integral latching arm 34 projecting radially from the housing and terminating at its free end in a latch lug 36.

A latching sleeve 38 is mounted in the housing for radial movement therein as may be seen by a comparison of Figs. 3 and 5. The sleeve is formed with a general elliptical bore 40 through which the shank portion of the stud-22 projects and a key 42 formed inte grally with the sleeve extends into the bore 40 along the major axis thereof. On the outside of the sleeve 38 at opposite sides thereof are integral cars 44 to hold the sleeve against lateral movement in the housing 30. A finger operator 46 is formed integrally with the sleeve and projects from the sleeve radially along a projection of the major axis of the bore opposite the key 42. As shown best in Figs. 3 and 5, the finger operator 46 extends out of the housing 30 through the slot 32 and terminates in a headed operating portion 48. A leaf spring 50 in the housing 30 bears against the sleeve 38 and yieldingly urges it in a latching direction, i. e. in a direction such that the key 42 enters the keyway 28. Tabs- 52 formed in the inner wall of the housing hold the spring against movement out of its proper position.

The housing and sleeve are held on the stud by a pin 54 which projects through a boss 56 on the housing 30 and rides in an annular groove 58 in the bearing portion of the stud.

The door is formed with an upwardly projecting detent 60 behind which the latch lug 36 seats when in latched position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. 1 Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, when the latching arm 34 is in its latched position the key 42 seats in the keyway 28 so that the housing 30 and latching sleeve 38 are locked against rotation relative to the stud. Obviously the housing cannot rotate relative to the latching sleeve because of the finger operator 46 which projects through the slot 32 in the housing. The spring 50 yieldingly holds the parts in the latched position of Fig. 3. If it is desired to unlatch the window, the finger operator 46 is depressed against the force of the spring 50 so that the sleeve 38 moves radially in the housing and the key moves out of the keyway. Now the housing and-sleeve can be rotated from the position of Fig. 3 to the unlatched position of Fig. 5, the key 42 riding on the surface of the stud 22.

asszsae the window is closed, the spring 50 projects the key 42 into the keyway 28 as soon as these parts move into alignment. The shoulders 26 formed in the bearing portion 24 of the stud 22 form stop members cooperable with an extending piece 62 of the finger projection to limit rotative movement of the housing to an arc of the order of ninety degrees.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes therefore in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A latch for a swinging closure, comprising: a mounting stud having a bearing portion and a reduced cylindrical shank portion; a latch housing mounted on said stud for rotative movement on the bearing portion thereof, said housing surrounding the shank portion of the stud in spaced relation thereto and said housing having an opening in its outer wall opposite the shank portion of the stud; a latching arm projecting outward from the housing; a latching sleeve in said housing, said sleeve having a generally elliptical bore through which the shank portion of the stud projects, the sleeve being radially movable on the shank portion of the stud and said sleeve and shank portion having complementary locking parts thereon'to lock the sleeve against rotation on the stud; a finger operator projecting from said sleeve out through the opening in said housing for moving the sleeve radially in said housing to disconnect the complementary locking parts of the sleeve and the shank portion and permit rotative movement of the housing and sleeve on the stud to swing the latching arm from latched to unlatched position; and keeper means for engagement by said latching arm in the latched position thereof.

2. A latch for a swinging closure, comprising: a mounting stud having a bearing portion and a reduced cylindrical shank portion; a latch housing mounted on said stud for rotative movement on the bearing portion thereof, said housing surrounding the shank portion of the stud in spaced relation thereto and said housing having an opening in its outer wall opposite the shank portion of the stud; a latching arm integral with and projecting outwardly from the housing; a latching sleeve in said housing, said sleeve 'having a generally elliptical bore through which the :shank portion of the stud projects, the sleeve being radially movable on the shank portion of the stud and said sleeve and shank portion having complementary locking parts thereon to lock said sleeve againstrotation-on-the stud; -a finger operator formed integrally with and projecting radially from said sleeve along a projection of the major axis of the bore out throughthe opening in said housing for movingthe sleeve radiallyin said housing to disconnect the complementary locking parts of the sleeve and shank portion and permit rotative movement of thehousing and sleeve on the stud to swing the latching arm from latched to unlatched position; andkeepermeans for engagement by said latching arm in the latched positionthereof.

3. Alatch for a swinging closure, comprising: a mounting stud having a bearing portion and a reduced cylindrical 'shank portion formed with an axially extending latch keyway; a cup-shapedlatch housing mounted on said stud-for rotative movement on the bearing portion thereof, said housing surrounding the shank portion of the stud in spaced relation thereto and said housing having a slot in its outer wall; a latch arm projecting radially from the housing; a latching sleeve in said housing, said sleeve having a generally elliptical bore through which the shank portion of said stud projects, the sleeve being radially movable on the shank portion of the stud and said-sleeve having a key adapted to enter said keyway'tolock the sleeve against rotation on the stud; and afingeroperator projecting from said sleeve out through the slot insaid housing for moving the sleeve radially in said housing to move the key out of the keyway and permit rotative movement of the housing and sleeve on the stud to swing the latching arm from latched to unlatched position; and keeper means for engagement by said latching arm in the latched position thereof.

4. A latch for a swinging closure, comprising: a mounting stud having a bearing portion and a reduced cylindrical shank portion formed with an axially extending latching keyway; a cup-shaped housing mounted on said stud for rotative movement on the bearing portion thereof, said housing surrounding the shank portion of the stud in spaced relation thereto and said housing having an opening in its outer wall; a latching arm integral with said housing and projecting radially therefrom; a latching sleeve in said housing, said sleeve having a generally elliptical bore through which the shank portion of said stud projects, the sleeve being radially movable on the shank portion of the stud and said sleeve having a key extending into the bore along the major axis thereof and adapted to enter said keyway to lock the sleeve against rotation on the stud; a finger operator projecting from said sleeve along a projection of the major axis of the bore out through the opening in said housing for moving the sleeve radially in said housing to move the key out of the keyway and permit rotative movement of the housing and sleeve to swing the latching arm from latched to unlatched position; and keeper means for engagement by said latching arm in the latched position thereof.

5. Apparatus of the character in claim 4, wherein the bearing portion of the mounting stud has stop shoulders formed therein for engagement with a portion of said finger operator to limit rotative movement of the housing and sleeve on the stud.

6. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 4, wherein spring means are mounted in said housing in engagement with said sleeve for yieldably urging the sleeve toward latched position.

7. A latch for a swinging window, comprising: a mounting bracket adapted to be secured to the window; a mounting stud projecting from said bracket and having a bearing portion and a reduced cylindrical shank .portion formed with an axially extending latching keyway; a cup-shaped latch housing mounted on said stud for limited rotative movement on the bearing portion thereof, said housing surrounding the shank portion of the stud in spaced relationthereto and said housing having an axially extending slot in its outer Wall; a latch arm projecting radially from the housing; a latch sleeve in said housing, said sleeve having a generally elliptical bore through which the shank portion of the stud projects, the sleeve being radially movable on the shank portion of the stud and said sleeve having a key extending into the bore along the major axis thereof and adapted to enter said keyway to lock the sleeve against rotation on the stud; a finger operator projecting from said sleeve along a projection of the major axis of the bore out through the slot in said housing for moving the sleeve radially in said housing to move the key out of the keyway and permit rotative movement of the housing and sleeve on the stud to swing the latching arm from latched to unlatched position, the bearing portion of said stud having a cut-out part terminating at each end instop shoulders for engagement by said finger operatorto limit the rotative movement of the housing and sleeve on the stud; a leaf spring in the housing bearing against said sleeve to bias the sleeve toward latched position; and keeper means having engagement by said latching arm in the latched position thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

